Over the years, a very large industry has been developed around the concept known as pre-formed homes. One branch of tne industry which is of particular importance throughout the United States and the world is the mobile home industry. Builders of mobile homes (or house trailers as they are sometimes called) have adapted to constructing larger and larger homes by preconstructing homes in portions, which portions are made to be attached together at some distant location. Each individual portion of the preconstructed home is made of a size small enough to be legally transported on roads and highways, yet when the portions are finally attached together, the home is of a much greater size than could be transported. Throughout this specification, each individual portion shall also be referred to as a "living unit" or "unit" to indicate that it is a separately constructed unit comprising at least a portion of the living quarters of a home (albeit, a mobile home). The industry has developed what is known as double-wides (two transported units attached together at the distant location) and triple-wides (three portions separately transported and attached together at the distant site).
Although the industry has made great strides in the development or larger and larger "mobile" homes, there have been significant limitations by virtue of the means of construction, requirements of transportation, and concerns for stable, leak-proof final construction, all of which have militated against architecturally and artistically pleasing designs of the preconstructed homes.
In order to provide for environmentally sealed housing systems, and for other reasons, the industry has found it necessary to construct the individually transported living units in identical lengths; the ends of each unit being required to match-up. Interior doorways, passages, and free spaces must be meticulously and intolerantly aligned from one unit to the next at the time of preconstruction so that, after set-up, all passageways and free spaces will properly match-up as one passes from one living unit portion into an adjacent living unit portion. Often times, a great deal of time and expense is expended at set-up to move and align passageways and freespaces of adjacent living units. Since the living units must match-up at their ends, it is frequently required that interior walls and trims be completely torn down and reconstructed at the set-up site in order to accomplish proper alignment.
Wall heights and floor-to-roof distances must also be meticulously and intolerantly constructed in the preconstruction stage in order that the roof and floor will match up at the time of set-up. It is not unusual for a great deal of time and expense to be wasted at the time of set-up while doing on-site gable work to saw off, shim up or otherwise rebuild or repair roof structures to match the peaks or roof edges of adjacent living unit portions. Such match-ups can be especially difficult in dealing with traditional triple-wides where the gable and peak portions of the two outer living units must separately and sequentially be matched to the respective, adjacent peaks of the inner living unit. Also, due, apparantly, to the sheer complication of preconstruction and alignment and roof sealing and other problems, the industry has been unable to or has avoided manufacturing and selling mobile homes with two or more roof peaks or with a peaked roof completely fabricated on a single living unit.
Furthermore, the industry traditionally provides for the sealing and covering of the roof joint between adjacent living units by the use of a "bridge cap". In such a construction, layers of sealant, felt paper (perhaps), and shingle are used to plug and overlay the gap formed between the two adjacent living units. Such "bridge cap" construction is not always desirable or efficient in sealing against rains and inclement weather. Also, the need for accurate alignment of adjacent roof peaks and edges makes the present methods of sealing roof joints critically important while at the same time making the chances of excellant construction less probable.